As internal communicators we often have stakeholders running after the next, big, bright ‘shiny’ object and that can be amusing and challenging to deal with. They can’t be blamed since their line of sight is limited and ‘quick wins’ are ways to move their agenda forward. However, we have a role to play in asking the right questions, sharing perspectives and surfacing issues that can derail plans.
Vinay, the business leader of Tone Ltd has 4000 employees across 5 offices in India and during a recent tour he got a sense that his staff wasn’t engaged. He couldn’t put a finger on what was the issue but needed to do something quickly. He called Shweta his internal communicator for a meeting.
Vinay: “Shweta, we need to run a campaign. Our employees aren’t excited enough about the workplace”.
Shweta: “Vinay, can you tell me more about what you mean by campaign?”
Vinay: “The usual. Create some posters, put up some content about the great work our employees are doing, cut some videos and place on the intranet. I can send out a mailer to our employees”
Shweta: “Is there a reason why you think we need this campaign?”
Vinay: “I recently visited the offices and in my interactions and Town Halls it was evident that employees aren’t taking pride in their work. They aren’t sure of what business we operate in and the clients we service”
Shweta: “Did you ask them as to why they didn’t take note of these basics?”
Vinay: “I did and most nodded their heads and agreed that they needed to look up the intranet or read the mailers that your team churns out about the milestones we achieved, the new wins, the global recognition that our organization gets. They just don’t have the time. We need to get their eyeballs.”
Shweta: “You mean they don’t have time to read the communication that is shared and yet they want to feel connected to the organization? What are the messages you want to convey and how will we know that this ‘campaign’ is successful?”
Vinay: “I want them to get ‘goosebumps’ when they read the e-mails and have tears in their eyes! I made the last one up but you get the drift, right? The message is – you are in the right place at the right time. Make the most of what our company offers”.
Shweta is perplexed. Was Vinay serious?
What do you think? Can a campaign save Vinay or change how employees felt about the organization?
What can enable employees to take pride and feel energized?
Share your views here.
Campaign in the form of a floor walk can be used as a kick off event. We can share the objective through it. But once that is done, various other activities have to be undertaken that can be sustained. Also, it is important to convey how organizational initiatives and / or other activities are beneficial to them. The audience should understand the “WIFM concept – what’s in it for me”. The communication should be able to tell them how are hey effected individually and also as an organization.
I do not think a campaign is the answer. I think there has to be a reduction in the number of internal emails here. The focus need to go on to effective communication. With the amount of campaigns run (assuming from Vinay’s the usual) i think employees can just see right through the campaigns. The content needs to be shorter but with the message conveyed across.
It would be nice to stir things up a bit. To get out of the routine. If I was Shwetha I would lean towards the radical and have people talking for days. This excitement remains for days and can be transferred to work as well.